Cycling

1. Cycling Training Guide

2. Uniforms • Uniform: The recommended cycling uniform is a jersey, cycling shorts, and cycling gloves although this uniform is not mandatory. Shorts should be mid-thigh in length. If wearing long pants, only form fitting pants may be worn (i.e. spandex). Clothing should not be too big or too loose as to get caught in the bike while riding. • Athletic shoes are recommended, insure that laces are tied and not of excessive length. Bicycle “click-in” shoes are allowed • The tournament director will have the final say on what shorts and/or pants will not be allowed. • Helmet: Helmets are required and must meet ANSI or SNELL safety standards and must be fitted properly. All helmets must fit properly

3. Equipment • Equipment: All bicycles and helmets must pass a safety inspection on race day prior to competition. Any standard bike that complies with the safety standards may be ridden. • It is the coach and athlete’s responsibility to bring equipment that is in working order. Any repairs needed are the responsibility of the coach. • If a bicycle is deemed unsafe, the bicycle will not be allowed on the course. If adjustments need to be done, they must be done before the inspection period is over. • Adaptive bikes may be used in time trial events if they do not impede other riders or cause an advantage, the bikes must pass safety inspection.

4. Races • SOMI offers the following races for Cycling State Competition • Three Wheel Bike • 250m Time Trial, 500m Time Trial, 1k Time Trial, 3k Time Trial • Individual • 500m Time Trial, 1k Time Trial, 3k Time Trial, 5k Time Trial, 5k Road Race, 10k Road Race • Unified • 3k Unified Time Trial, 5k Unified Time Trial, 3k Unified Tandem Time Trial, 5k Unified Tandom Time Trial, 5k Unified Team Road Race, 10k Unified Team Road Race FOR ALL DIVISIONS • To qualify to register for 5k events, the athlete must be able to complete the race in 18 minutes or less • To qualify to register for 10k events, the athlete must be able to complete the race in 26 minutes or less

5. General Rules • All riders must be in the staging area near the start line 15 minutes prior to their event. • Start time is forfeit time. If not present at start time you will forfeit • A time trial consists of an individual racing against the clock. Competitors in time trials will start at 30 second intervals. This is an official event, not a preliminary event for another race. • The rider may be held with their feet on the pedals for the start but may not be pushed. The time trial start order is slowest to the fastest. Drafting and taking pace (side by side) is not allowed in the time trials unless it is a team event. Partners can draft each other, but not other teams. Separation between two bikes should generally be at least 3 bike lengths, unless passing.

6. General Rules • Use of modified bicycles will be permitted only in time trial events. The Event or Race Director will decide if two-wheel and modified bicycles compete together, based on the number of competitors, course conditions and ability level of the riders. • A road race consists of a mass start. Competitors in road races will begin in mass starts according to divisions. The start is by a starter gun, whistle or beeper system. Prior to the race, the competitors shall have the opportunity to warm up and inspect the course. The finish is determined by placing/order of crossing the finish line. • The race shall be declared finished when the front tire of the bike crosses the finish line. *Coaches are not allowed on the track.

7. Unified Team Events • Unified Team events will include the 3K and the 5K Time Trial and the 5K and 10K Road Race. This will include a two person Unified Sports Team. (1 Athlete and 1 unified partner). The teams place will be determined when the last competitor’s front wheel (partner or athlete) crosses the finish line. • Unified tandem events will include the 3K and 5K Time Trial. The athlete or partner may assume the driver (front) or stoker (rear) position on the tandem.

8. Divisioning • A time must be submitted for each event an athlete is registered for at call-in. Separate divisions will be made for 3-wheel bikes (2 of the wheels must be the size of standard bicycle tires) or recumbent bikes. Any athlete using these bikes must be identified at registration time (i.e. at call-in).

9. Practice • Athletes should begin practice 8-12 weeks out from the state culminating event and should practice regularly • It is recommended to have coaches/chaperones available to ride with/alongside the athletes • Facilities – Trails, large parking areas (schools, churches, office complexes), cycling or race tracks, Parks and rail trails • It is important to cone off or make entrance and exit areas inaccessible to cars if at all possible during practice sessions

10. Safety • It is important for athletes to have well-fitted equipment and cycles • Athletes should understand how the bike works, brakes, shifting, etc. • Athletes should have a strong understanding of mounting and dismounting the bike. • Athletes should wear a helmet at ALL TIMES, practice, home practice and competition • When practicing it is important for all athletes to understand the importance of roadway safety • Look both ways, pay attention to traffic signs, etc.

11. Bike Terms • Brake Levers:Mechanismsattached to the brake arms, which clamp the rim during braking. • Brake Pads:Rubberpads attached to the brake arms, which clamp the rim during braking. • Cassette:Theset of gear cogs on the rear hub; also freewheel, cluster or block. • Chain:Theflexible metal link between the rear wheel and the front chain ring. It transmits the power from the pedals to the rear wheel. • Chain Rings:Thefront gear wheels that drive the chain. One- to three-speed bicycles have one chain ring. Ten- to sixteen-speed bicycles have two chain rings. Bicycles with more than that have three.

12. Bike Terms • Chainstay: Small tube running from bottom bracket back to rear dropouts. • Cleat: A metal or plastic fitting on the sole of a cycling shoe that engages the pedal. • Clincher: Tire and tube separate, and the tire expands under pressure to grip the sides of the rim like a car tire. • Drivetrain: Components directly involved in making the wheel turn: chain, crankset and cassette. • Dropout: Open-ended fixtures at the fork ends and at the convergence of the seat and chain stays, which receive the axels of the wheels. • Drops: Lower parts of a turned-down handlebar, also called the hooks.

13. Bike Terms • Foot Brake: Mechanism that stops the rear wheel when pedals are pushed in reverse. • Freewheel: The cluster of gear wheels attached to the rear wheel, which provides a variety of gears. • Handlebars: The bicycle’s steering apparatus. • Mudguards: Fenders. • PSI: Abbreviation for pressure per square inch. • Rim: Outside section of the wheel, around which the tube is inflated. Usually steel or aluminum. • Saddle: The bicycler’s seat. • Toe Clip: Toe piece attached to a pedal, which holds the foot on the pedal.

14. Riding Terms • Breakaway: The leading rider or group of riders who have broken away from the peloton. • Bunch: The main cluster of riders in a race, also the group, pack, field or peloton. • Cadence: The pedal revolutions per minute. • Chasers: A group of riders ahead of a peloton trying to catch a breakaway. • Circuit: A course that is ridden two or more times in a race. • Downshift: To shift to a lower and larger cog on the rear, smaller chain ring on the front. • Drafting: Riding closely behind another rider in the slipstream to decrease wind resistance. Enables the rider to maintain speed with less effort.

15. Riding Terms • Echelon: A form of the pace line used in a crosswind: Riders line up offset to the lead side of the rider in front so the pace line stretches across the road at an angle or echelon. • Field Sprint: The sprint for the finish line by the main group of riders. • Jam: A period of hard fast riding. • Jump: A hard acceleration out of the saddle. • Overgearing: Using too big a gear for the terrain or for one’s conditioning. • Peak: A relatively short period of time during which maximum performance is achieved.

16. Riding Terms • Spin-Ability:to pedal at the cadence. • Take a Flyer:Togo very early in a sprint. • Time Trial:Timetrials pit indoor riders against the clock, with the goal to cover the course distance in the short amount of time. The course is usually straight out for the 500 meter to 1km distance and out-and-back for the 5km thru 25km. • Turn Around:Thepoint where riders reverse direction on an out-and-back time trial course. • Upshift:Toshift to a higher gear, smaller cog or larger chainring.

17. 10 Top Cycling Technique Tips • 10. Pedal with flat feet: Some people think of keeping their heels down, and some point their toes towards the sky. A couple of analogies we use are to picture the linkage on an old steam engine and visualize your foot as the linkage come up and staying flat throughout the revolution of the wheels. The other is to picture an equestrian rider, riding a horse with heels down, while toes are in the stirrups. Toes down is a no, no in my book, and you'll see why in the next two tips, as they all go together. • 9. Get on the pedals early: This means you start pushing forward on the pedals before they reach the top of the arc or 12 o'clock. With your feet flat to slightly toed up/heeled down you'll be able to increase your power band from two to three hours if you look at the face of a clock. With left foot, start pushing at 10 o'clock instead of one o'clock. With toes down it is very difficult to start pushing before the pedals reach 12 o'clock. • 8. Focus on the push phase of the pedal revolution as it is where you produce the most power: I read articles all the time and hear from people that they focus on getting through the dead spot, as if scraping mud off the bottom of their shoes. They spend so much time pulling up and focusing on the weak part of the stroke they forget to push on the pedals.

18. 10 Top Cycling Technique Tips • 7. If you ride with your hands on the tops/flat part of the bars, ALWAYS WRAP YOUR THUMBS: I've personally--and talked to too many pros--who've slipped off their bars at the worst time or silliest time, depending on how you look at it, because they didn't have a grip on the bars. I remember Danny Pate of Garmin-Transistions in particular telling us about his misfortune while racing one year because he'd had his thumbs on top of the bars. • 6. Change your hand position on the bars every few minutes, practicing to produce power in the drops, on the hoods, and/or on the tops: This will allow you to adapt neuromuscularly and be able to produce the necessary power when slicing through a head wind or climbing a steep hill. • 5. Visit your doctor for an understanding of your cardiovascular fitness and blood work: Getting your cholesterol checked and practicing a cardiac awareness and prevention lifestyle will improve your riding immensely. In addition to knowing your true risk for heart disease, know the warning signs for a heart attack so that you can avoid it.

19. 10 Top Cycling Technique Tips • 4. Go slow to go fast!: If you are a rider looking to gain improvement, do a field test or visit a physiologist to help you determine your lactate threshold power and heart rate, and train to improve it. Training in your easier zones below lactate threshold will make you faster all around in the long run or ride, as the case may be. • Probably 95 percent of the people I coach or ride with are going too hard, too often, to reach their fitness goals. Some high school or college coach along the way has them believing in the old adage of no pain, no gain, and that's the last thing we want our athletes doing. • 3. Use your gears and switch them before you get on the hill and have all the tension on the chain and cogs: All that popping and grinding and inability to shift gears under load is normal. You wouldn't shift your manual transmission car without putting the clutch in, so why would you shift a bike without letting up on the pedals a bit? And that goes for shifting in and out of the front chain rings as well as changing cogs on the rear cassette.

20. 10 Top Cycling Technique Tips • 2. Keep your head up, and relax your elbows, shoulders, and hands slightly: Keeping your head up too high, with all the tension in your hands, neck, arms, and shoulders, will give you some aches and pains that are unnecessary and put you at risk for erratic handling of the bicycle in adverse conditions. Being loose allows your bike to respond just the right amount to stones, gravel, or wind. Looking where you are going is pretty obvious. After all, you wouldn't walk down the street in NYC looking at the sidewalk just in front of your feet as you'd get mowed down by other pedestrians, taxis, or cars. • 1. Perhaps the most important thing to improve a rider's comfort is the position of the saddle: Having a saddle flat to slightly up will keep you from sliding to the front and allow you to be supported by the saddle in the places intended. You may have to lower your seat slightly from where it is now if you notice it pointing down, but you'll also notice all that pressure on your hands, neck, and back gets alleviated a bit. It's something I'm all too familiar with and one of the greatest things I learned from working with the legendary positioning and aerodynamics guru Steve Hed of HED Wheels.